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processing facility funding, job creation and community development, 

 and marketing and promotion efforts for this new industry. 



We initially focused on a viable primary processing, shore-based 

 industry in these efforts; however, in addition to the primary processors, 

 several secondary-processing businesses have also emerged to utilize 

 both the whiting and whiting by-product from the initial shore-based 

 processing plants. These joint efforts have pioneered many unique 

 products, processing methods, and marketing programs. 



I believe these endeavors have been a real success story for Oregon, 

 enabling us to manage a renewable marine resource under a weU- 

 coordinated regional program, develop new technologies and 

 investments to create jobs and local community development, and 

 protect our natural resources in the process. 



This project took on a greater importance for coastal economic 

 development due to the diminished harvest of the Salmon and the 

 prohibition of logging on many coastal watersheds. ^ 



The recent decision of the U.S. Department of Conmaierce, reversing 

 a two-year trend of shore-side allocations of whiting, places all our 

 efforts in jeopardy. Indeed, it is very alarming to those of xxs in Oregon 



